I was quite sad a few weeks ago when I decided to call time on what began in July 2012 as mostly a film review blog with a few pieces here and there on bands I love from the 60's and 70's. But I am very, very happy with how the last 6 years in particular turned out, and even moreso, incredibly lucky to have ended up meeting so many amazing and inspiring people, seeing god knows how many bands live who blew my mind, and in a nutshell, living a dream.  The over-riding reason I've decided to wrap up is purely time, in this game you are either all-in and 100% committed, or you're better ..read more

Photo: Declan Kelly 'White Billboards' is a reflection on the power of advertising on in our society and how models and standards influence our choices, happiness and feeling of adequacy. The song pictures an imaginary future where as an result of over-saturation, people have become indifferent to commercial models. Advertisers and brands have run out of slogans and have lost their impact on people and society. There is a question left open, which whether a society with empty billboards would indeed set us free to be happy or whether it would leave us lost and unab ..read more

Mongoose - Photo: Abigail Denniston Photography In our latest round-up of new Irish album releases which have come out over the past month, we feature the sophomore albums Suck the Wound from Dublin contemporary folk quartet Mongoose, and The Dancer From the Dance by Wexford's The Man Whom. We also have a wonderful debut LP via Dublin-based atmospheric art-folk artist RUNAH, titled Strange. 1) Mongoose - Suck the Wound Few Irish bands carve apart modern folk and put it back together again with so many different layers for the listener to explore in the manner that Mongoose do. F ..read more

Ahead of their main-stage performance at the inaugural Tipp Classical Festival, which rebooted last year to huge success as Féile Classical in Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary (music fans of the same vintage as myself may recall the origins as The Day Trip to Tipp in the 1990's, where the Buckfast flowed like wine), REMY had the privilege of chatting to Michael McKeegan, founding member of Belfast alternative-rock icons Therapy? In Irish Times journalist Tony Clayton-Lea's must-have book, 101 Irish Records You Must Hear Before You Die (2011, Liberties Press), referring to Therapy?'s ..read more

Nix Moon - Photo: Curtis Morris I've been away from home the last three weekends in a row, this is when I usually have time to catch up on reviews, so the latest Irish playlist is a bit of a bumper affair featuring 21 tracks which were released over the last few weeks, plenty to dip your wee ears into, lots of wonderful variety and then some! I recommend shuffle play, because there is no hierarchy of talent on this playlist. 1) Nix Moon - 'Ceremony' One of the finest acts to emerge from Dundalk over the last number of years, Nix Moon share their latest single 'Ceremony' which will featur ..read more

On Saturday May 25th, SelfMade will run a two-part event, Mind YourSelf: Mental Health and Music, sponsored by IMRO, looking at mental health in the Irish music scene and in particular the challenges affecting developing musicians in their professional and personal lives. There has been a huge step-up in the level of conversation on mental health in recent years and we’re proud to use our next event to encourage conversation, break the stigma, and facilitate a route to a healthier music industry.  In advance of the event REMY chats to Mayo alternative folk artist Ma ..read more

Photo: Stephen White (The Last Mixed Tape) On Saturday May 25th, SelfMade will run a two-part event, Mind YourSelf: Mental Health and Music, sponsored by IMRO, looking at mental health in the Irish music scene and in particular the challenges affecting developing musicians in their professional and personal lives. There has been a huge step-up in the level of conversation on mental health in recent years and we’re proud to use our next event to encourage conversation, break the stigma, and facilitate a route to a healthier music industry.  In advance of the event REMY chats to Dublin t ..read more

Photo: Simon Curran Eve Clague is an urban-folk / singer-songwriter hailing from Clonakilty in West Cork, who released her debut EP Young Naive Me last week. Of the gorgeous opening self-titled track we wrote back in March; "On her debut single Eve Clague is nothing but natural, and there's a very fulfilling clarity and pristine delivery to her vocal here, no distractions. On first listen you are struck by the classic sound of both voice and music, but it also sounds effortlessly timeless, like it could never sound dated no matter when it was released. A disarmingly gentle sway drift ..read more

Dublin-based soul & blues singer-songwriter Stephen Robinson released his debut solo EP The Rest of the Night in 201, and is now putting the finishing touches to debut album Sunrise, a live studio version of the title-track was released a few weeks ago which you can enjoy above. There are a few familiar faces to be seen also in the band line-up such as Dec Quinn on keys and Aisling Browne on vocals. Deep keys set the mood, and it doesn't take long at all to know you're in the thick of a very pleasing serving of classic blues-rock. Robinson's vocal is powerful and clean and the build i ..read more

Photo: Nicholas O'Donnell Photography Formed in 2015, Wicklow-based alt-punks Felonies have striven to define themselves as one of Ireland’s most exciting live acts. Taking inspiration from the re-emergence of distorted garage rock and post-punk, the band combines raw lyricism, harsh musicality and melodic hooks to carve their unique sound. There's a brash and intensely enjoyable hi-octane trundle that barges it's way unforgivably right across the entire 6 tracks of Felonies debut EP What Comes Next. This smash and grab sound trickles like dark melted treacle over the themes of the DIY-re ..read more